Demountable poultry-feeding battery



June 12, E923. I 1,458,736

' W. J. STEWART DEMOUNTABLE POULTRY FEEDING BATTERY Filed March 30. 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 yaw awuentoz W filbtom wu a A r June 12, 3923.

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w. J. STEWART DEMOUNTABLE POULTRY FEEDING BATTERY Filed March 30, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Maw Jim;

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W. J. STEWART DEMOUNTABLE POULTRY FEEDING BATTERY Filed March 30, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 31 amoewcoz ,5513 abbovmeu/Q/ b Patented June 12, 1923.

U E T E F F! C E WILLIAM J. STEWART; OF CLINTON, IOWA.

DEHQUN'IABLE POULTRY-FEEDING BATTERY.

Application filed March 30, 1922. Serial No. 548,181.

.15 Iowa, have invented ii.-...certain new and useful, Improvement inDe'mount-able Poultry- FeedingBatteries, ofwhich the following is a S st on. .1

ligi inventi-on relates to that class of de- 9 which. are designed, for shipping poultry and. has ,for its primary object to provide a device-which can be quickly and easily demounted with the result that it can 1 be shipped inexpensively. Devices of this character with whic-hI am familiar are so 2o distance remote from the constructed so that they cannot be demounted, with the resrlt that they are given the highest rate for shipping, thus making them prohibitiveto customers living at a point of manufacum 1. In my. improvement I provide a device which can .'be demount'ed and hence shipped at the lowest. rate and .in which a single car .125 will contain many times the number of battil teries which it is possible 'to'ship where they are notdemountable.

Another objectionable feature of the presentlbattery .is that the gates are generally formedfby spotwelding and machine screw connections with the result that they jar loose and permit the poultry to escape very frequently, besides forming places for the collection of dirt, etc. In my battery I pros vide: a gate whichdoes not use any spot weld: or ,any. bolts of any description and v v fiich consequently cannot get out of ld n,

. Another object of my construction is ,to provide a battery in, which easy and convenient can be had for the purpose of cleaning the same and to eliminate all corners in vwhich dirt and refuse can colloot, thusjproducing a very sanitary type of construction. f

Other objects will appear in the hereinafter contained claims. and description.

My means of accomplishing the foregoing object may be more readily understood by having reference to the accompanying drawings which are hereunto annexed and are a part of the specification which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved poultry feeding battery.

F g. 2 is an end view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the battery.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail of the corner of the device showing the means of securing the frame together.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view of the adjustable feeding trough support.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view of one of the channels for holding the central partition.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary detail view of the corner showing the retaining clamp for the ends of the battery.

Fig. 8 is a detail view of the central channel.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail view of the wire support for the drop pans.

F 10 and 11 are detail views of the gate.

Fig. 12 is a detail view of upright spacin rod and floor support.

imilar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the entire description.

As shown in the drawings the battery, comprises four corner uprights 10, 11, 12 and 13. These uprights are provided with three-way elbow 14 which are mounted at the upper and lower corners of the battery. The end uprights 10 and 11 and 12 and 13 respectively are connected together by means of cross-connecting pipes 15 and 16 which are plugged and tapped to receive draw bolts 17 and 18 for connecting the end uprights 10, 11, 12 and 13. The side uprights 10 and 12 and 11 and 13 respectively are connected by means of side-connecting ipes 19 and 20 which are screwed into the el ows 14 at the corner. Upon each of the cross connecting pipes 15 and 16 are mounted channels 23 clearly seen in Fig. 4. The end frames 24 are formed of wire mesh which is secured to an outer frame 25 which has rounded corners and mounted in the channels 23 and held in place by retaining clamps which comprise a hooked lug 27 adapted to engage the sides of the frame 25 and which is provided with a threaded aperture 28 adapted to receive a bolt 29 which extends through the corner uprights so that the frame 25 can be securely held in place. The sides of the battery are formed of a plurality of sections which comprise an upper and lower carry rod 30 and 31. The ends of these rods enter openings formed in the uprights and the rods are provided with nuts 32 which when tightened against the apertures serve to'lock the carry rods in position. These carry rods are spaced by means of upright spacingwires 33, the ends of which are wound one and one-half times around the rod 30 and one and one-half times around the rod 31 and in some cases it may be found desirable'to extend the ends of these rods inwardly forming hooks 36 for supporting the shelf or floor of the sections. A central partition 49 which is formed in the same manner as the end partitions is mounted in the center of the battery and is held in position by upper and lower channels 34 which are secured to the side-connecting pipes 19 and 20, the sides of the central partition being supported by means of two upright channels 35 which are held in position 'by means of bolts 42. It may be found desirable in practice to provide longitudinal partitions 80 and 81 clearly seen in Fig. 6, they being supported in channels 82 and 83 secured to the central partition 49 similar channels 8 1 and 85 being secured to the end frames 24. This construction serves to hold the central partition rigidly in position. The sections are provided with floors 37 which are carried by suitable lugs and are formed of a metal frame having rounded corners covered with wire mesh. The floor sections 37 loosely rest upon the hooks 36 formed on the ends of the spacing wires or other supports may be furnished if desired. A plurality of droppings pans 38 are mounted beneath each of the said floor sections and are carried by detachable supports 39. These sup orts are provided with a loop 40 at one end which is adapted to pass around one of the carry rods 30 and swlng thereon. The other end of the support 39 is provided with book 41 which is bent inwardly so as to snap over the opposite carry rod 30, thus extending from the front to the rear of the battery. The top of the battery is formed of a frame provided with wire mesh and is held in position in the same manner as the end sections resting upon the central portion. The frame is mounted upon a pair of wheels 44 mounted at oneend of the battery and a pair of swiveled wheels 45 mounted adjacent the other end of the battery. These wheels are carried by? brackets 46 which are bolted to the side-connecting pipes 19 and are provided with thrust bearings 47. The rear wheels 44 are mounted upon an axle 4 8; which is mounted in brackets 50 which are bolted to the cross-connecting pipes 19. Preferably they are all mounted upon antifriction bearings.

means of providing for supporting the adjustable feed troughs which are extremely desirable from the users standpoint by reason of the fact that they can be adjusted to provide for the difi'erent sizes of poultry, comprise a plurality of clamps 51 which are bolted u on the upri hts10-11- 12-13 at the desire elevation. Ihese clamps are detachable, being secured in place by means of screws or bolts 52. They are provided with a vertical bearing 53 in which is mounted a swinging bracket 54 which is formed of wire having a plurality of coils 55 at its outer end and inwardly extending portions 56 which are adapted to enter the vertical bearing 53, thus permitting the bracket 54 to swing freely about the clamp 51. A wire crotch 57 is mounted in the coils 55, its upper arms 58 and 59 serving to support the feed troughs (not shown). To erect the battery the assembly man will take the cross-connecting pipes 15 and 16 which are plugged and tapped to receive the draw bolts 17 and 18 and insert each of the ends ofthese pipes into the openings in the elbows and then start the bolts 17 and 18 to hold the crossconnecting pipes temporarily. Before these bolts are drawn up tight the central wire partition is placed between the channels 35. The bolts 17 and 18 are then drawn up tightly and the battery comes up uare and no other alignment is required. he bolts 42 are then tightened up holding the central channel firmly in position. The end sect'ons 24 are then placed in the lower channel 23 and the section is sprung so as to enter the channel at the top. The bolts 29 are then tightened up so as to cause the lugs 27 to engage the sides of the frame 25 and it is held tightly in position. The top frame is also sprung in position in the same way thus making the battery complete. It will be apparent from the foregoing description that it is easily possible to mount or demount the battery and consequently it may be shipped in a very small space, yet I have been able to provide an extremely sanitary construction by eliminating all corners in which refuse can collect and make the removal of the droppings pans for cleaning very convenient. The battery should then be raised from the floor and the wheels placed beneath so as to bolt them to the brackets. on the side-connecting pipes 19. The drop pan supports are then hooked around the carry rods 30 at one side of the battery and the book 41 snapped over the carry rod at the opposite side. The drop pans are placed in position and the floor secsupports 36.

One of the important features of my battery is the improved construction which I provide for the gate which is formed by means of a guide and stay formed of a single piece of wire provided with two up right portions 60 and 61, the ends 62 and 63 being wrapped one and one-half times around the carry rod 31 and forming one'of the upright spacing members. The upper end of the rods 60 and 61 is wrapped around the carry rod and bent downwardly and outwardly as clearly seen in the drawings forming a shelf 64, the purpose of which will be hereinafter explained; The. gate proper is formed with a lower member 65, the ends of which are looped around the guide and gate staymembers and 61 and slidable vertically thereon. A piece of wire is then formed in inverted U-shape-havmg upright portions 66 and 67 and a horizontal portion 68. The ends 69 and 70 of the upright portions 66 and 67 are wrapped one and one-half times around the lower member 65. Uprights 71 are then mounted upon the lower member being wrapped one and one-half times around it and provided with hooked portions at their other end which are adapted to engage the horizontal portion 68 of the gate proper. When it is desired to open the gate it is moved upwardly sliding upon the guide and gate stays 60 and 61 until the lower member 65 reaches the shelf 64 when the gate will drop outwardly, being prevented from dropping too far by the carry rod 30 and supported upon the shelf 64. This serves to hold it open without the least danger of its accidentally closing, but the moment that it is placed in an upright position it automatically drops down and closes the opening formed by its having been raised. It will be apparent from the foregoing description that I have absolutely eliminated the use of stove bolts or spot welding at the same time by winding the spacing rods in the gate one and onehalf times and forming the gate and stay of a single piece that I have a flexible gate and still an extremely durable one. I

. Having described my invention what I regard as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a poultry battery a plurality of corner uprights, means to detachably connect said uprights at their ends, channels. on said connectors, end frames of wire mesh locked in said channels, means passing through the uprights to secure said end frames, a plurality of sections which form the sides, said sections comprising an upper and lower rod the ends of which enter openings formed in the uprights, nuts on said rods which abut said uprights, a central partition, two channeled uprights in which the sides of the central partition are held, upper and lower channels .for said central partition secured to the side connec= tions, bolts which hold said channels in place.

2. In a poultry battery a pluralityof corner uprights, means to detachably con-' nect said uprights at their ends, channels on said connectors, end frames of Wire mesh locked in said channels, means passin through the uprights to secure said en frames, a plurality of sections which form the sides, said sections comprising an upper and lower rod the ends of which enter openings formed in the uprights, nuts on said rods which abut said uprights, a central partition, two channeled uprights in which the sides of the central partition are held, upper and lower channels for said central partition secured to-the side connections, bolts which hold said channels in place, a plurality of upright spacing wires the ends of which are passed one and onehalf times around the upper rod and one and one-half times around the lower rod the end of said wire at the bottom extending in- -wardly and terminating in a hook.

a plu-.

tral partition are held, upper and lower channels for said central partition secured to the side connections, bolts which hold said channels in place, a plurality of upright spacing wires the ends of which are passed one and one-half times around the upper rod and one and one-half times around the lower rod.

4. In a poultry battery a plurality of corner uprights, means to detachably connect said uprights at their ends, channels on said connectors, end frames of wire meshlocked in said channels, 'means assing through the uprights to secure said end frames, a plurality of sections which form the sides, said sections comprising an up per and lower red the ends of which enter openings formed in the uprights, nuts on said rods which abut said uprights, a central partition, two channeled uprights in which the sides of the central partition are held, upper and lower channels for said central partition secured to the side connections, bolts which hold said channels in place, a plurality of floor sections formed of a metal frame having rounded corners and wire mesh covering said frame, said sectionsbeing loosely supported in position, a

plurality of droppings pans beneath said sections, detachable supports therefor which supports have a loo at one end adapted to pass around one of t e upper rods, the other 6 end terminating in a hook adapted to snap over the upper rod on the opposite side.

' 5.- Ina poultry battery a gate formed of an inverted U, a" horizontal member, the lower endsof the U being wrapped one and 1e one-half times around said horizontal memher, a plurality of uprights, one end of which is detachably secured to the top of the U, the other being wrapped one and one half times around the horizontal'member, a gate stay and guide, the lower end being fixedly secured in osition, the upper end being bent outward y forming a'shelf.

In testimony whereof I have signed the foregoing specification.

' WILLIAM J. STEWART. 

